New World Havelock North customer Tony Hughes outside the store he can't enter for two years. Photo / Rafaella Melo
New World Havelock North customer Tony Hughes outside the store he can't enter for two years. Photo / Rafaella Melo
Tony Hughes was trespassed from New World Havelock North after photographing a clogged fire exit.
Hughes reported the issue twice and was then trespassed for two years for taking photos, he claims.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed the issue raised by Hughes has now been resolved.
A Havelock North man has been trespassed from his local supermarket after twice taking pictures of a clogged fire exit and flagging to store managers.
Havelock’s Tony Hughes told Hawke’s Bay Today he saw the fire exit blocked on February 9 and 20 and took pictures only to show them to the duty managers as part of his request to have it cleared.
Both managers, he said, thanked him for bringing it to their attention at the time he spoke to them, and assured him the issue wouldn’t happen again.
However, when returning to the shop on Sunday evening, Hughes was informed that, unless he contacted the store owner, he was trespassed from New World Havelock North for two years due to taking photos in the store.
Taking photos in public places is generally legal in New Zealand, but supermarkets are not considered public places and can introduce policies prohibiting customers from taking photos or videos inside stores without permission.
“I was followed through the store from a distance and was allowed to kindly give them my money at checkout before they trespassed me in person,” Hughes told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“I’ve been shopping at New World Havelock North three to five times a week. But this is not about me. I was sad for the safety and wellbeing of the community.”
A photo taken by Tony Hughes shows trolleys and goods in front of a fire exit on February 9 at New World Havelock North.
Under New Zealand law, fire exits must be kept clear at all times to comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 and fire safety regulations enforced by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
According to a Fire and Emergency spokesperson, exit doors should also be “unlocked and free of barriers or blockages so that the building’s occupants can leave the building in the event of a fire emergency”.
The spokesperson told Hawke’s Bay Today the organisation received a complaint on Tuesday about a blocked fire exit at New World Havelock North.
“Members of the Hawke’s Bay District team visited the store [on Tuesday] afternoon and found the issue outlined in the complaint had been resolved. No further action was required.”
Hughes had also submitted a formal complaint to WorkSafe regarding the incident.
He said the workplace health and safety regulator declined to investigate, citing responsibility falling to Hastings District Council (HDC).
“The council has spoken to the supermarket manager and is satisfied that the issue has been rectified. The council’s compliance team will continue to monitor the situation,” a HDC spokesperson said.
Hughes spotted the New World Havelock North's fire exit blocked once again on February 20.
A spokesperson for Foodstuffs, the company that owns New World, refused to comment on the case for privacy reasons.
“Generally, the decision to issue a trespass notice is made when there are genuine safety or security concerns,” they say.
“We encourage anyone with concerns or questions about what they see in-store to speak directly with a store manager or use the contact details provided on our in-store signage.”
Hughes said his concern was not about his ability to shop at the store, but rather about ensuring that fire safety measures were properly enforced.
